Junior
by busterposey28
Summary: 16-year-old KJ has lived with her older brother Matt ever since their parents died 10 years ago. Follow KJ as she experiences the ups and downs of her teenage years, with the support of everyone at Firehouse 51, especially Kelly (whom she has the closest relationship with).
1. Chapter 1

It was another gloomy day in the Windy City, the sun failing to shine and a layer of fog hovering over the skyscrapers. 16-year-old KJ was completing her routine 3-mile walk from school to Firehouse 51 when she saw a cloud of smoke coming from the top of an old warehouse.

She walked over to the crowd of people gathering, figuring the guys from 51 probably responded to the call. KJ carefully pushed through all of the people, walking all the way up to the yellow tape. The police officer, immediately recognizing KJ as Casey's sister, and knowing she would stay out of their way, let her under the tape.

As she neared the site of the fire, she noticed all of the guys were covered in soot, and looked very worn down. Peter Mills, whom KJ was fairly close with, was the first to notice KJ entering the scene. She immediately saw a look of panic wash over his face, and soon shared this nervousness with the other guys as she came closer.

"Hey KJ..." Mills said, nervously playing with the gloves on his hands.

"Hey Mills. What's up?" KJ responded, sensing that something was off with him.

"Um...Maybe it would be best if today you..." He was cut off with a questioning look from KJ, that would have scared anyone who didn't know her well enough.

"Mills. What is it? Just tell me!"

Annoyed with Mills' lack of response, KJ stormed passed him until she was standing in the middle of all of the fire trucks and ambulances.

After glancing around her surroundings, KJ spotted Dawson and Shay trying to rapidly get a patient into the ambulance. With a closer look, KJ saw something that made her knees go weak.

"_No, no, no, no, no," she thought to herself. "This can't be happening."_

"Kelly!" KJ screamed as she started running towards not only the man she loved as an uncle, but more of a big brother and best friend.

"Oh shit," Shay muttered as she saw KJ running towards the ambo. "This is not gonna end well."

"Casey!" Dawson screamed to get her boyfriend's attention. Casey and Chief Boden looked up simultaneously at her voice. Casey immediately recognized what was happening and jumped into action. They had to act fast, seeing as KJ was now only a few feet from the ambo.

Casey and Boden sprinted to KJ, easily holding her 110-pound figure back.

"Kelly!" KJ continued to scream as she tried to escape the strong arms of her brother and his chief.

"Come on, baby girl," Casey tried, but his words didn't seem to soothe her.

"Let me go Matty!" She started sobbing. "I need to see Kelly!" Matt could see that his little sister was starting to break down.

Her words became softer as the sirens were turned on and the ambo drove away. KJ slumped into her brother's arms. "I need to see him," her words barely audible. "Please."

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All the guys from both squad and truck were sitting in the hard, uncomfortable chairs of Lakeshore, staring at the bright white walls. On the other hand, KJ was pacing up and down the short length of the waiting room, as she had been doing for the past four hours. Several of the guys had tried to get KJ to sit down and relax, but she ignored all of them.

Finally, the long-awaited doctor walked through the double doors. Everyone stood up in unison, waiting anxiously for the update on their fellow firefighter. Casey, Dawson, Shay, and Mills also kept eyeing KJ, making sure she was okay.

"Hey guys. You must be Lieutenant Severide's friends. I can tell you that he is currently stable. The beam that fell on him caused some internal bleeding, along with a few broken ribs. He also has a broken leg and a broken collarbone, along with some extensive smoke inhalation. We were able to stop the bleeding and set all of his bones straight. Other than that, he should be good as new in a few weeks."

"When will we be able to see him?" questioned Casey, speaking on behalf of all the guys, and KJ of course.

"You can see him now in Room 231. But remember to let him rest. Only a few people at a time. And it will be a few hours until the anesthesia wears off."

Before the doctor had even stopped talking, KJ had sprinted off towards the elevator, with Casey in tow.

Everyone else thanked the doctor who then turned around and walked back through the double doors.

"Everyone go home and see your families. You guys can come back and check on Kelly in the morning," Chief Boden said defeatedly.

"I'm staying, Chief," said Shay, tears evident on her face.

"Me too," Dawson said in response.

"Alright," Boden said, "Everyone else go home."

All the guys said their goodbyes, wishing Dawson and Shay the best of luck.

Once everyone had left, Boden pulled Dawson and Shay to the side. "You two call if you need anything, okay?"

They both nodded.

"And watch over KJ too. Kelly loves that girl to death."

The truth is, everyone knew how strong the bond between Kelly and KJ were. Those two were inseparable. They did everything with each other and were best friends. Kelly saw KJ as his little sister, and would never let anything happen to her. Kelly was KJ's everything, besides Casey of course. Ever since both of her parents died in a car crash 10 years ago, Kelly had been KJ's rock. She looked up to him and wanted to be exactly like him. I mean, they didn't nickname her Kelly Junior for nothing, right?

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As Casey approached Kelly's room, he made sure to keep his distance in order to give KJ some space. KJ walked up to room 231, her hand hesitant to twist the knob on the door. When she finally did open the door, Casey heard a gasp come from his sister's mouth. She entered the room, but Casey decided to give her some time alone with Kelly.

A few minutes later, Dawson and Shay came and stood next to Casey.

"How's she doing?" Dawson asked, wrapping her arms around Casey's waist.

"I don't know. I haven't been in yet."

"Why don't we all go in together to check up on both of them," Shay suggested.

"Yeah, okay," said Casey, leading the two women into Kelly's room.

The sight they walked into, no doubt, shocked them. On one hand, Kelly didn't look like himself. His face was all beat up, and there were wires everywhere coming out of him. His sleeping form appeared weak and vulnerable, two things Severide definitely wasn't. On the other hand, KJ was asleep next to Kelly in his bed, her head resting on his shoulder.

Casey let her be because her position didn't seem to be affecting any of his injuries. The three of them decided to sit down on the hard plastic chairs, waiting for the anesthesia to wear off. Due to the exhaustion of the day, they all ended up falling asleep within minutes.

Casey woke up to the sun shining down on his face, leaking through the curtains. He realized Dawson's head was resting on his shoulder. He then tried to slip out from under his girlfriend without waking her, but was unsuccessful.

"Hey babe. Sorry for waking you."

"No problem," Dawson replied. "Why don't we go get some coffee and bring it back to the room. I'll wake Shay up."

Soon enough, the three friends were walking down the halls of Lakeshore, headed to the cafeteria.

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Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. The constant noise of the machines filled room 231 as Kelly struggled to open his eyes, the brightness hurting them. Finally, he was successful. He slowly observed his surroundings. White walls. The uber-clean smell. Ahhh, he was in a hospital. But why did he feel like there was a heavy weight on his shoulder. He looked down to see KJ, fast asleep, and softly snoring. He smiled to himself, thinking of the fun he and KJ had had, just the night before.

_*Flashback_

_KJ walked into Firehouse 51, only to find it completely deserted. She sat down at the kitchen table, deciding to start on her homework as she waited for the guys to get back from their call. Half an hour later, KJ heard the fire trucks pull up and voices begin to fill the room. _

_"Hey Junior," Kelly said as he gave her a light kiss on the top of her head._

_"Hey Kelly," KJ said, responding with a kiss to his stubbly cheek._

_"How was school?" Kelly asked as he pulled out a chair next to her and sat down._

_"It was okay."_

_"Okay? I think I might have something to make your day ten times better..."_

_"Really? What is it?" KJ asked excitedly._

_Kelly smirked as he pulled out two white, rectangular pieces of paper and handed them to her._

_"No way! A pair of tickets to tonight's Giants-Cubs game! Thank you so much Kelly! You're my favorite person ever!" _

_"Whoa...KJ, I'm hurt...",said Matt Casey, his voice feigning shock, as he wrapped his arms around his little sister from behind._

_"Hi Matty," KJ said as she leaned her head back to look up at him._

_"Hey baby girl."_

_"So Casey, Junior and I are gonna head out to Wrigley Field after shift if that's okay with you," Severide said, turning towards Casey._

_"Yeah of course," Casey replied. "Make sure to catch a foul ball for me KJ. And don't have too much fun tonight," directing his last comment playfully towards Kelly, only half-joking._

_Five hours later..._

_"Man, I can't believe the Cubbies of all teams swept us!" KJ sighed as she laid her head against the car window._

_"Yeah, your G-men didn't really live up to their "2 championships in 3 years standard."" _

_"Hey! You just watch! Next year they're going to come back stronger than ever. It's an every other year kind of thing." KJ retorted._

_"Yeah, okay Junior. Whatever you say." Kelly said as he pulled up to Casey's house._

_"Thanks again for the tickets Kelly. I had a really fun time tonight."_

_"No problem kiddo. Anytime."_

_Kelly unlocked the car door and KJ hopped out. As KJ was walking to the front door, she turned around and yelled,"Posey's better than Rizzo!"_

_Kelly smirked as he sat back in his seat. He drove off into the night, thinking about how lucky he was to be the uncle of such a great kid._

_*End of Flashback_

KJ opened her eyes to find Kelly staring directly at her, with a huge smile on his face.

"Kelly!" she screamed, immediately turning around and giving him a huge hug.

"Hey Junior," Kelly said as he gave her a light kiss her cheek. KJ was silent for almost a minute, which was very unlike her. "Hey baby girl, what's wrong?" Kelly asked her, lifting her chin up with his fingers, daring her to look him in the eyes.

She finally looked up at him, tears rolling down her face. "I thought I was gonna lose you," she sobbed, burying her face into his shoulder.

This was a very unusual experience for Severide. It was weird to see KJ like this, full of emotion and very vulnerable, the complete opposite of her tough, ball-buster self. However, he knew the toughness she showed was all just a façade. Ever since her parents died, she kept her emotions bottled up and never really opened up to anyone. Kelly was the only one who could occasionally get her to open up. It was times like these that Kelly was reminded of the little girl hidden deep inside of KJ. It was moments like these that he treasured the most.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorite my story. This is my first fanfic ever and I was so surprised by the awesome response to this story. This story is probably going to be little one-shots of KJ's everyday life so if you guys have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know. Again, thanks so much for the reviews; they really mean a lot. I hope you enjoy! R&R **

KJ walked into the firehouse after school, just like any other normal day. Except today, she walked in with her hoodie pulled over her head, looking down as she made her way over to Dawson and Shay who were restocking the ambo. When she got to the ambo, she pulled them both inside, quickly shutting the door before anyone could notice.

"KJ, what happened?" Dawson asked, confused as to why she was pulled into the ambo.

"Hello? KJ?" Shay said, trying to get KJ to talk to her. "Babe, what's wrong?"

KJ still wouldn't look up. Finally, Dawson reached over and pulled he hood off of KJ's head.

"Holy shit!" Shay exclaimed.

"Please, don't tell Kelly!" KJ pleaded as her black, swollen eye and split lip were now completely evident. KJ took her hands out of her pockets, only to reveal them both covered in dried blood.

"KJ, what happened?" asked Shay worriedly.

"Nothing happened," KJ replied. "It was just a little fight."

"Yeah, try telling that to Kelly," Dawson smirked, already knowing how the firefighter would react.

"Come on guys. You can't tell him or Matty! Kelly will literally go nuts! Please," she pleaded. "Don't you have some makeup that you can cover it up with?"

"Fine," Shay finally conceded. "But he's gonna find out anyway."

"No he won't," said KJ confidently.

"Whatever you say KJ," Dawson responded as she went to work trying to cover up her injuries and ease the swelling.

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After KJ finished her homework, she decided to watch the Giants-White Sox game on TV. Amazingly, she hadn't run into Kelly or her brother all day. It was a pretty busy shift and the rest of their time was spent catching up on paperwork.

After the game ended, everyone was on a call and KJ didn't know what else to do. She decided to take a quick nap before dinner. KJ went to Kelly's room and laid down on his bed, playing on her phone. Eventually, sleep took over KJ and her eyes finally closed.

Everyone at Firehouse 51 piled into the kitchen when they got back, starved from their most recent call. Casey didn't see his little sister and figured she must be taking a nap.

"Hey Severide," Casey called out. "Can you go wake KJ up for dinner? I think she might be sleeping."

"Yeah, no problem," Severide replied, happy to go wake up his favorite teenage girl.

Kelly walked into his room, noticing how peaceful KJ seemed when she slept.

He walked over to his bed and put his hand on her head gently saying, "Junior, you gotta wake up, babe. It's time for dinner."

KJ slowly rolled over, groaning from the interruption of her sleep. Kelly knelt down to get closer to her, only to see a slight discoloration of his pillow. His pillow had some light tan smears on it, but Kelly didn't know what they were from. When he looked up, what he saw enraged him.

"Junior, what the hell happened to your face?" he yelled, realizing the smudges on his pillow was her failed attempt to cover up her injuries.

"Kelly, calm down. It's not a big deal," KJ said calmly, trying to quiet down her uncle.

"Not a big deal? Are you kidding me Junior? Your eye looks like a fucking blueberry exploded on it!" Kelly screamed, wanting to know who would hurt his girl. "I swear to God I will kill whoever did this to you!"

"What the hell is going on in here?" Casey questioned as he walked into Kelly's room. He finally looked up to see KJ staring directly at him. "Oh my God, KJ!" he said running over to her, checking over her body for more harm, eventually finding her bruised hands as well.

"I'm fine, Matty. I swear," KJ said, brushing it off like it was no big deal.

"Bullshit," claimed Kelly, obviously annoyed with his niece.

"Tell me what happened, baby girl," Casey said softly, his eyes pleading with her for answers.

"I ran into a wall?" KJ suggested, trying to lighten the mood. However, when she looked to her brother and uncle, they weren't smiling at all. "Ok, ok," KJ finally said, giving into their stares. "Some seniors were giving me some shit earlier today for trying out for varsity, saying girls couldn't play baseball. I guess this guy in my class named Jake overheard them and didn't like what they were saying. So then at practice, I was catching for Jake, and one of the seniors was at bat. Jake pitched a little too inside to get back at him, and the guy went nuts. I could see that he was gonna go after Jake so I kinda took a swing at him. Then naturally, he swung back. Then the coaches broke us up, and yeah, that's my story."

KJ slowly lifted her head up, afraid of the looks she might find on the two men's faces. She was slightly confused by what she saw. The expression on her brother's face was as she expected. He looked like he was ready to murder someone. Kelly, on the other hand, had a smirk on her face.

"Junior, you beat up a dude?" Kelly asked incredulously, a sense of pride in his voice and a smile still on his face.

"Kelly," Matt said. "She can't just go around punching people in the face."

"Matt, she was sticking up for a friend. You can't be mad at her for that. She was just doing the right thing," Kelly rebutted.

Casey knew Kelly was right. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Come here, babe." Casey motioned for KJ to come stand by him. Casey lifted her chin up and brushed his thumb over her blackened eye. He brought her head into his shoulder, trying to give her some comfort. He quietly whispered into her ear, "Tell me the name of this senior, babe."

KJ looked up at her big brother with sad eyes. She knew he was being completely serious, and that if she told him, that kid would be in the morgue the next day. So instead, she smiled a sad smile, and turned to walk towards Kelly.

"Guess what, Kell?!" KJ said excitedly.

"What?"

"I made varsity!"

"No way! I knew you would Junior," Kelly laughed, picking KJ up and carrying her fireman-style out of the room, being cautious of her injuries.

Casey sighed. He was happy to know that his little sister was okay. But, it was his job to protect her and he had failed. He needed to find this kid.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorite, or followed this story. They really mean a lot, especially because this is my first fanfic. Again, if you have any suggestions for plot lines in this story, please let me know. I hope you enjoy this chapter. R&R!**

Casey pulled up to the curb, unlocking the door to let KJ out.

"You're coming to my first game today, right?" KJ asked her brother as she unloaded her backpack out of the car.

"Right after I get off shift, I promise," Casey said, kissing his sister on the head.

"Bye Matty!" KJ waved as she started to walk away.

"Bye, baby girl," Casey waved back, starting up the engine again. To be honest, he wasn't sure how this day was going to go. That kid who beat up KJ had been on his mind ever since she had come home a few days prior. He needed to show him what would happen if he ever touched his little sister again.

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Everyone at Firehouse 51 decided to surprise KJ at her first varsity game after shift. But, it wouldn't be a Firehouse 51 entrance unless it resulted with the complete and utter embarrassment of KJ. All of the guys, plus Dawson and Shay, piled into the two trucks and drove, lights and sirens included, to the baseball field.

KJ was warming up with her teammates on the field when she heard the sirens coming closer. Immediately, she knew who was coming, and whose idea it was. No one else could come up with such an embarrassing idea except for the one and only Kelly Severide. She smiled, a small chuckle escaping her mouth as she squatted down behind home plate, ready to help Jake warm up.

Everyone filed out of the trucks and went straight to the bleachers, all sitting in the front row.

"Let's go KJ!"

"Yeah Junior!"

"Show these boys how it's done!"

KJ rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance, knowing they would cheer like through the whole game. However, secretly she was thankful that she had such a great support system, especially with the absence of her parents.

"Hey KJ! That your family?" Jake asked from the mound, winding up to throw another pitch.

"Yeah, something like that," KJ smiled, easily catching the 85 mph pitch that was thrown directly to her. "Balls in, coming down!" KJ yelled, letting her teammates know the game was about to begin.

"Well in that case," Jake said. "Show them what ya got."

KJ closed her glove around the ball, quickly stood up, and chucked it as hard as she could to second base. She could hear them cheer even louder, and then looked up to Jake, who just smirked and winked at her.

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KJ's first game on varsity was definitely one to remember. They were tied in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs. KJ was up, and worked the count to 3-2. Everyone held their breath as the next pitch was thrown, a curveball inside. KJ adjusted her stance, and connected! The ball went deep into the outfield as KJ rounded first, then second, and finally third. The dugout was going crazy as she sprinted home to try and beat the throw. She slid into home, colliding into the catcher, who then dropped the ball. She was safe and the Gators just won their first game of the season! All of her teammates came pouring out of the dugout, easily lifting KJ up and carrying her off the field, towards the lockers. All except for one.

Casey noticed this, and separated himself from the rest of the pack. He slowly approached the only kid who was still in the dugout, packing up his bag. As Casey moved closer, he noticed the kid had a still healing black eye. Casey smiled inside, knowing his little 110-pound sister could fight back, but also felt the anger rise as he realized this was the senior who had hurt her.

"Hey," Casey said as he stepped into the dugout, hands in his pockets (to keep himself from lashing out right away).

"Who the hell are you?" the kid asked annoyed, not even bothering to look up from what he was doing.

"I'm Matt Casey, KJ's older brother."

At this, the kid's head popped up, putting two and two together as to why KJ's brother would be here. "What do you want?"

"What's your name?" Casey asked, annoyed with this kid's attitude.

"Blake."

"Well, _Blake_, it seems that you got into a little skirmish with my sister earlier this week," Casey said, arms now crossed against his chest.

"I don't seem to remember that," Blake said sarcastically.

"Yeah?" Casey said, "What about that black eye?"

"Must have ran into a wall or something," Blake said, shrugging his shoulders, obviously pissing Casey off.

"Listen kid," Casey said pointedly. "I don't appreciate it when little punks like you think you're better than everyone else."

"Yeah?" Blake responded. "Well I don't appreciate when girls are running around my baseball diamond in fucking mini-skirts!"

This sent Casey over the edge. He charged Blake, grabbing him by the top of his jersey, holding him up against the wall of the dugout. "You touch my little sister again," Casey threatened, "and I swear to God I will end you."

After an intense stare down, Casey finally let go of Blake's collar and stormed out of the dugout. Eventually he found the group of firemen and paramedics crowding around the hero of the game.

"Hey man, where ya been?" Severide asked, noticing that Casey had just arrived.

"Just had some business to take care of," replied Casey casually.

Casey made his way into the middle of the group, picking up KJ around the waist, and tickling her until she shrieked for him to put her down.

"Did you see me Matty?" KJ asked, her green eyes filled with excitement.

"I did baby girl. I'm so proud of you," Casey said planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Hey KJ!" Jake called out, running over to her. "All of us were gonna go grab a bite to eat to celebrate and we were wondering if you'd like to join us."

"Can I go with them? Please, Matty!" KJ pleaded with her brother.

"I guess," Casey said, giving into his sister's undeniable puppy eyes.

"Thank you Matty!" KJ exclaimed, placing a kiss on her older brother's cheek. No one missed the fact that Jake placed his hand on KJ's back to guide her away from the group and towards the rest of their teammates. Dawson and Shay were smirking, while Casey, Kelly, and Mills were glaring at the pair as they walked off into the night.

**A/N: I hope you liked it! Please review and Happy Super Bowl Sunday! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry it took so long for an update. I have been so busy juggling homework, track practice, and getting ready for spirit week at my school. Again, as always, thank you guys so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites. I hope you enjoy this chapter! R&R!**

KJ walked into Firehouse 51, throwing a baseball up and down, with the biggest smile on her face. She went straight into the kitchen and sat down on the counter, swinging her legs back and forth.

"What ya making Mills?" KJ asked, her voice seemingly more excited than usual.

"Chili and cornbread. You want some?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks," KJ replied, still with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey, what's that in your hand?" Mills asked curiously.

"A baseball," KJ replied nonchalantly.

"No, I know that," Mills said sighing. "But there's something on it."

"No, there's not," KJ said nervously now.

"Yes there is. Let me see," Mills said playfully.

"No," KJ replied.

At this point, Mills reached over, trying to grab it from her. When she wouldn't let go, he lifted her up with one arm and started tickling her. After almost a minute, he was finally able to snatch it out of her hand. Mills turned the ball over trying to read what it said, while simultaneously trying to fend off an unrelenting 16-year-old girl.

"_I might strike out asking, but will you go to prom with me?" _Mills read off the surface of the baseball.

KJ lowered her head, knowing what was about to come next. She knew Mills would be the first of all the guys, especially Casey and Kelly, to go all "big brother" on her. She braced herself for his speech, but did not get what she was expecting.

"Jake?" Mills asked, KJ's head immediately popping up.

"How did you know?" KJ asked shocked, wondering if Mills had some psychic powers or something.

"Everyone knows," Mills replied, a smile growing on his face.

"Everyone?" KJ asked, now slightly frightened.

At that, Mills just smirked, tossed her back the baseball, and went back to his chili.

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Casey, Severide, Shay, Dawson, and KJ all decided to head out for pizza later that night after shift. Since Casey and Kelly had gone to the counter to order their pizza, KJ decided it would be the perfect time to tell Shay and Dawson. KJ was playing with the baseball in her pocket (which she had been carrying all day) when she lifted her head up to find both Dawson and Shay smiling at her.

"What?" KJ asked cautiously.

"How'd he ask?" Shay's smile getting even bigger.

"What? How'd you know?" KJ replied dumbfounded.

"Are you kidding me?" Dawson said with a laugh. "You've been smiling nonstop since you got to the firehouse and you keep playing with whatever's in your pocket."

"Has it been that noticeable?" KJ asked, defeated.

"Yep," said Casey and Kelly in unison as they arrived back at the table with the pizzas.

"Shit," KJ said, covering her face with her hands.

"Language, Junior," Kelly said with a disapproving look.

KJ just responded by sticking her tongue out at him, them both smiling after.

Kelly and Casey set the pizzas down, sitting down on either side of KJ. KJ sent a look across the table to Shay and Dawson that said, _"Help me!"_

"You can go with this Jake kid under ONE condition," Casey said, making sure to emphasize the last part.

"We get to have a little talk with him before," Kelly said, already thinking of questions he would use to interrogate this little punk.

KJ looked worried, but then decided she really didn't have a choice. "Okay, fine. But promise me he'll come out alive?" she asked with honest eyes.

"No promises," the two guys said at the same time, smirking at their perfect timing.

"Enough with this bullshit," Shay said excitedly. "Sooooo, how did he ask you?!"

_Flashback to earlier that day_

_Jake had asked KJ if he could throw some more pitches with her after everyone else left. They had a big game coming up and he wanted to get some more practice in, or so he said._

_After they were about 30 pitches in, Jake said, "Hold on one sec. I've gotta get something from my bag."_

_KJ stood up, stretching out her legs before they resumed. Jake came back to the mound a few seconds later. _

_"What'd you have to get?" KJ asked, not noticing anything different about him._

_"Oh, I just got this new baseball yesterday and wanted to try it out," Jake replied._

_"What's so special about this baseball?" _

_"You'll just have to find out," Jake said as he wound up for the pitch, and threw it right down the middle._

_"Nice pitch," KJ said lifting the ball of out her glove with her right hand. However, when she picked it up, she noticed some writing on it. She gasped as she read, "I might strike out asking, but will you go to prom with me?" KJ looked up to see Jake standing in front of her, holding a single rose. She stood up, took off her catcher's helmet, and accepted the rose that was presented to her. She looked up at Jake, who was smiling as well. "Wow, I never realized how beautiful his eyes are," she thought to herself._

_"Yes, I will go to prom with you Jake," KJ said happily._

_Jake then pulled KJ into a hug that lasted probably longer than Casey or Kelly would have liked, neither KJ nor Jake caring that they were both covered in dirt and sweat._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your constant support! It really means a lot! You guys might get a few more updates this week because I have no school this week! Again, thank you for all the support and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! R&R!**

Everyone at Firehouse 51 dreaded this day. It came every year, but each year it seemed get harder and harder. It was the anniversary of Casey and KJ's parents' death.

Every year, KJ stayed home from school, and instead hung out at the firehouse. No one knew how to comfort her. Everyone knew it was unhealthy for her to keep her emotions bottled up, but no one could seem to get through to her.

That morning, Casey walked in holding KJ, her arms and legs wrapped around him, head resting on his shoulder. She had on some Giants pj bottoms coupled with one of Kelly's old squad sweatshirts. He gently set her down on the couch, covering her with a soft blanket and placing a kiss on her forehead.

Everyone looked up from their breakfast to stare at Casey with eyes of pity. Thankfully, Casey was saved from their sad gazes as the alarm went off, calling the attention of truck, squad, and the ambo.

When they returned to the house, KJ was nowhere to be seen, as expected. Kelly looked up at Boden, who gave him a knowingly sad nod.

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"Hey Junior," Kelly said through the fence. "Why don't you try choking up a little bit? It might help." KJ continued on swinging, not even bothering to look back at Kelly who was on the other side of the batting cages.

Kelly knew her annual routine by heart now. Come to the firehouse in the morning, go to the batting cages while they were out on a call, go grab something to eat, watch ESPN for the rest of the shift, and then end the day with a movie night, snuggled up next to Matt, Kelly, and Shay, all while managing not to let a single word slip from her mouth the entire day. KJ had not been to her parent's grave since the funeral ten years prior. Kelly knew she shouldn't grieve like she did, keeping her emotions bottled up, which is why this year he was determined to break down her walls, to at least get something out of her.

"Try to level your swing out," suggested Kelly, knowing his constant advice would annoy the hell out of her. He waited a couple of minutes before he said anything else. "Junior, you know letting all your anger out on these tiny little balls isn't going to solve anything. You're only hurting yourself by keeping all of your pent up anger inside. And think about your brother. Imagine how he feels every year when you come out here. He doesn't know how to comfort you any more than the rest of us. And you know what's even worse? He's grieving too. He grieving the same exact loss as you are and," At this point, KJ couldn't take it anymore. She threw the aluminum bat to the ground, along with her helmet, and spun around to look directly at Kelly through the fence. When Kelly saw KJ start to turn around, he was glad that he was finally able to get through to her. However, he was definitely not expecting what he saw. There were tears streaming down her face, eyes red from crying.

"You think I don't know that Kelly?" she screamed. "You think I didn't hear him crying in his room this morning just like every other year? Or that I don't know where he goes when he says he's 'goin out for a drink'? He goes to their fucking grave! He goes to their grave because he knows I'm too scared and stubborn to go with him! I know I'm the cause of so much of his pain and that I'm such a burden to him! He should be dating and going out for drinks every night but instead he's constantly watching over a 16 year old girl! And all this day does is reminds him of that! So, yeah, I will unleash my fury on these tiny balls because I don't know what the hell else to do! What am I supposed to do Kelly?" At this point, KJ broke down on her knees, sobbing. Kelly rushed to the other side of the fence and picked her up in his arms.

"Shhh, Junior. It's okay. Everything gonna be alright. Shhhh." His attempts at trying to calm her down began to take effect. Her body, tired out from her rant, finally gave into sleep. Kelly gently placed her in the front seat of his car and drove back to the firehouse.

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As soon as Kelly got back to the house, he placed KJ on his cot and went back into the common room.

He quickly pulled Casey aside to tell him what had just happened.

"Dude, what the hell happened?" Casey asked worriedly.

Severide ran his hands over his head. "She was at the batting cages like usual. I could tell she was angry so I tried to get on her nerves in the hopes that she would open up to me. She finally did, but you know KJ. She keeps everything bottled up for so long that it finally explodes all over the place. She said that today reminds her how much of a burden she is to you. Then she just broke down, crying," Severide replied, sighing.

"Shit," Matt said, rubbing his hands over his face. "Alright, thanks man. I'm gonna go talk to her," he said, patting Kelly on the back.

Casey walked to Kelly's room, opening the door slowly. He sat down on the bed, gently touching his little sister's face with his fingers. She finally began to wake up, shocked at who she saw.

"Matty," she whispered.

"Come here, baby girl," he said, KJ then snuggling into his lap. "I love you, ya know that, right?" Casey asked, placing a kiss in her hair.

KJ slowly nodded into his shirt.

"Hey, look at me," Casey said, lifting up her chin with his fingers. "You will never be a burden to me, okay? I love looking after you. I get to watch you grow into the most beautiful young woman I've ever seen and I'm so lucky for that. I'm so proud of you, alright? I wouldn't have my life any other way."

**A/N: Anyone have ideas/suggestions for KJ's real/birth name? Would love to hear them!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys. I really have no excuse for not updating. I was having trouble coming up with the next storyline so I decided to roughly base it off of the storyline with Katie and Vince Keeler. Sorry about the wait again. R&R! Thanks!**

"Would you stop worrying already Kelly? She's fine. KJ's a big girl," Shay said, trying to get her best friend to stop pacing the room.

"I know. I know. But I swear to God if he even looks at her in the wrong way I will..."

"...pummel him to death," everyone else said in unison.

"Yeah, we get it," explained Dawson. "It's just a dance Kelly. And Jake's a good kid."

Just then the alarm sounded, signaling for assistance of all three units.

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"Alright," Chief Boden said in an authoritative voice. "We need cots set up, along with all the blankets and pillows we can find. We also need to cook something for all of these hungry people. The whole grid is experiencing this blackout and there will be many more people to walk through those doors. Alright, let's get to work."

Just then, KJ and Jake walked through the doors, still in their prom attire.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" asked Casey. "Aren't you supposed to be at prom?"

"Yeah," Jake replied. "But the power went out at the hotel too, so they had to end it a little early. No biggie though. We thought we could maybe be of some use here though, if that's okay with you."

"Of course," Chief Boden said. "We could always use some extra hands, especially tonight."

"Come on," KJ said, grabbing onto Jake's hand. "Let's go get changed into something more comfortable."

As they walked away, Gabby nudged Kelly in the side. "See, I told you he was a good kid." Kelly just shook his head and smiled.

The night seemed to be going pretty smoothly so far, with the exception of Severide having to kick out that one guy for starting a fight. Then, all of a sudden, a certain detective walked in.

"Hey, I'm Detective Erin Lindsay, Chicago PD," said the beautiful brunette.

"Hey. Lieutenant Severide. What can I do for you?" asked Kelly.

"I heard one of you guys got into it with a guy named Vince Keeler tonight. And judging by the bruises on your hand, I'm gonna assume that's you," she said in her signature raspy voice. "Keeler's got a pretty bad reputation. Been in our system for a while now. I just got information from one of my CI's that Keeler was pretty angry about what happened tonight. He said he's gonna kill a fireman from Firehouse 51 tonight. So just be cautious, alright? I have an officer parked outside just in case."

"Thanks," said Kelly. "I'll keep my eyes open."

Lindsay nodded in approval, turning around. Kelly couldn't help but stare as the beautiful detective walked away.

"Hey Kelly," KJ said, walking up to her best friend. "Who was that?"

"What? Oh, no one," Kelly said, still a little distracted from his encounter.

"You like her, don't you?" KJ said, a smirk evident on her face.

"What? No I don't," Kelly said defensively."

"Oh, come on, Kelly. I can practically see the drool rolling down your face," KJ said jokingly.

"Oh yeah Junior?" Kelly exclaimed, now laughing at the situation. "You think you know everything, don't you?!" he said, picking the 16 year old up, and carrying her fireman style into the common room.

Kelly finally put KJ down, KJ then stood up, trying to smooth out her clothes.

"Hey KJ," Jake said, smiling at the close relationship between her and Kelly.

"Hey Jake, what's up?" KJ asked.

"I have something to give you, but it's in my car. Come on," Jake's said motioning towards the door. "I think you'll really like it."

"Really?" KJ asked.

"Yup!"

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Jake and KJ began walking towards his car, his arm around her to keep her warm. They heard some leaves rustling behind them, disregarding the noises as the wind. Jake unlocked his car, opened the door on the driver's side, and took out a small envelope.

"Here, these are for you," Jake said with a shy smile as he handed her the envelope.

KJ slowly opened the top, pulling out two pieces of paper similar to the ones Kelly had given her a couple of weeks before. "Oh my God! Two tickets to the Bulls-Warriors game?" KJ exclaimed, looking down at the tickets. "How did you manage to get these?! I though it was all sold..." KJ was cut off by a cry of pain coming from Jake.

KJ looked up to see blood pouring from Jake's abdomen. But before she had a chance to scream for help, she was struck in the head by a heavy object and felt the world go black.

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"Help! Help!"

"Hey does anyone hear that?" Casey asked. They were all gathered in the kitchen, since all of the other rooms in the firehouse were packed with sleeping civilians.

"Oh my God! Jake!" Shay screamed, rushing over to the teenage boy who was struggling to hold himself up against the wall. "Dawson, get over here!" she screamed.

As they were trying to load him into the ambulance, Kelly could see that he was trying to force some words out.

"KJ," Jake said softly. "They took KJ."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks again for all the reviews. They're what keep me going! And a quick shout out to The Rain On Your Parade for the name idea! Thanks and please R&R!**

A lot had changed in a year. Well, everything except for the fact that KJ was still missing.

Kelly had joined the army. After six months of searching, he couldn't bare another day in the firehouse, let alone the city of Chicago, without his best friend. Everything seemed to remind him of her, to bring back memories of what once was: from her scent on his pillow to a baseball game on TV.

To be honest though, nobody could blame him. The firehouse just wasn't the same without KJ. Everybody had their own way of coping with the absence of their favorite teen, and now their lieutenant as well. Mills would cook KJ's favorite chili and cornbread once a week. Shay would stare at a framed picture of her, Kelly and KJ for hours on end. Casey would watch home movies of him and his sister until there were no more tears left. In addition, Casey and Dawson made weekly trips down to District 21, in hopes of any leads in KJ's soon to be cold case.

However, the one person who was most determined of them all was Jake. After healing from his stab wound, he made it his mission to find KJ. Not unbeknownst to the Firehouse, Jake looked for KJ every day after school. He had even quit baseball to free up time after school. He would search dark alleys, abandoned warehouses, any possible place that KJ or her body could be located. By this point, he had searched the whole city of Chicago, but he wasn't about to give up.

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Jake quickly walked into Lakeshore, still bundled up during this not unusually freezing winter. His trip to the hospital was part of his daily routine, to see on some off chance, if KJ might have been there. Everyone at the hospital knew Jake by name now, and felt sorry for the teenage boy who they believed was obviously in denial. Jake checked with Susie, the lady who worked the front desk, but the results were negative again.

"Hey Jake," Shay said, out of breath, as she and Dawson had just rushed one of their patients in.

"Hey Shay. Hey Dawson," Jake said in reply.

"Any luck today?" Dawson asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

"No. But I promise you, I won't give up until I find KJ," Jake said confidently.

"Hey Jake," Shay said as he began to walk away. Jake turned around to look at her. "Thank you," she said.

He just gave her a small smile in reply. Jake turned around to leave again when a young woman stumbled into the automatic doors of Lakeshore. She looked completely disheveled as she was covered in dirt, hair greasy and in knots, ripped clothing, and bruises and blood covering her body and face. As she struggled to walk closer, it was evident that one of her legs was broken, in addition to some ribs as it was difficult for her to breathe. As Jake neared her, what he realized made his knees go weak.

"KJ?" he asked hesitantly.

"Jake?" KJ asked in response, in a weak, wavering voice.

"Oh my God!" Jake yelled as he rushed over to her, carefully picking her up in his arms. "Dawson, Shay!" he screamed as their backs were turned towards him.

The two women turned around simultaneously. They both stood in shock for a few seconds, trying to process what was really happening. After realizing that it was KJ, Shay broke down into tears. Gabby, realizing the dire situation, ran over to Jake and took KJ out of his arms, calling for a gurney and a doctor.

"Jake, I need you to listen to me, ok?" Dawson said frantically.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you need," Jake replied, worry evident on his face.

"I need you to call Casey and tell him to get his ass over here as fast as he can. And then I need you to call either my brother Antonio or Detective Lindsay down at District 21 and tell them what's going on. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah, ok. Of course," Jake said quickly, fumbling in his pocket for his phone. It seemed like an eternity before Casey picked up his phone.

"Hey Jake. What's up?" Casey said over the phone.

"Casey, we found KJ."

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As soon as Casey heard those words, his heart stopped. He sprinted to his car, not even bothering to put on a jacket, or to tell anyone where he was going. He stepped on the gas immediately, not caring if he broke any traffic laws. All he wanted was his little sister back. When he arrived at Lakeshore, he sloppily parked his car and ran to the front desk, slightly out of breath.

"I need to know what room my little sister is in," Matt said, still panting from his little run.

"What is her name sir?" asked Susie politely.

"KJ, I mean, Parker. Parker Casey. Parker Madison Casey," Casey rambled on, losing his patience quickly.

"Oh, yes," Susie said. "She is in room 132. Just down that hallway and to the right."

"Thank you," said Casey hurriedly, rushing down to the room as fast as he could.

As Casey turned the corner, a familiar set of arms slowed him down.

"Casey. Casey, look at me man," Antonio said, trying to get the firefighter to look at him.

"Get out of my way Antonio. I need to see KJ," Matt said angrily.

"You can't go in there yet," Antonio said.

"Why not? She's my sister!"

"Casey, look at me man." Casey finally calmed down and looked Antonio in the eyes. "All we know right now for sure is that she escaped from Keeler and his men this morning. But, it wasn't pretty when she stumbled in here. They're doing some tests on her right now."

Casey became alert after Antonio's last words and the realization of what he was trying to say finally hit him. "No….no…it can't be…" Casey began to tear up at the thought of any man putting their hands on his little sister.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Dawson and Shay were trying to get KJ to relax, as she flinched every time the doctor tried to go near her. Eventually, after a long struggle, they finished the rape kit. However, Erin Lindsay didn't need the rape kit or any questioning to know what happened. It was evident in KJ's fear-filled eyes.

Later that night, after KJ had been cleaned up and given a cast for her broken leg, she had finally settled down enough, and had allowed other people in her room besides Dawson and Shay.

Casey took a deep breath as he stepped in her room, not knowing what to expect. However once they made eye contact, he broke down into tears.

"Matty!" KJ screamed, as she too couldn't keep herself from crying after being away from her brother for an entire year.

After a few minutes, the tears had stopped, and Matt just sat there, holding his sister in his arms, willing to never let her go again.

KJ finally broke the silence. "Matty, where's Kelly?"

**A/N: Please don't kill me :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! I've reached 40! A lot of you guys have been asking me about KJ's name. Her birth name is Parker Madison Casey. She and Kelly have a very close relationship and he acts as a brother, uncle, father, and best friend for her after her parents' death in a car crash. She looks up to him and she is like his little sister. Because the pair is so inseparable and they are almost always together, the guys at the Firehouse nicknamed her KJ, an acronym for Kelly Junior. The name kind of stuck and that is why everyone calls her KJ! **

**P.S. I kinda got my inspiration for the second part of the story from the song Waiting for Sueprman by Chris Daughtry.**

Casey was dreading this question ever since he found out that his little sister was okay.

"Matty," KJ asked again. "Where's Kelly?"

Casey didn't know if he had the heart to tell her the truth. He didn't know if he could sit there, look KJ in the eyes, and tell her the her uncle, more like her second brother, was 7,000 miles away in Afghanistan. He didn't know if he should tell her that after six months of her disappearance, that same man was falling apart and felt the need to get away, to escape.

"Kelly…he…he…um…" Casey struggled to find the right words, knowing that KJ wouldn't take the news well anyway. "He left," Casey said, releasing the breath he didn't know he was holding in. Still holding KJ in his arms, he closed his eyes, praying that she wouldn't freak out.

"What do you mean he left?" KJ asked. "Left where? To go to the cafeteria? Did he go back to the firehouse?" she continued, completely oblivious to the reality of the situation.

KJ was now sitting up on the bed, facing her older brother. "No, he _left left_," replied Casey. "Babe, Kelly's in Afghanistan."

"What do you mean he's in Afghanistan? Is this some kind of joke or something?" asked KJ, already denying what she had just heard.

"No, KJ, listen to me. Six months ago, Kelly joined the army. He left, without really saying goodbye or giving us a reason but," Casey was cut off by a very upset KJ.

"No! Matty, stop lying to me!" she screamed, tears now running down her face.

"KJ," he tried to reason with her.

"NO! Kelly wouldn't do that! Why are you lying to me?"

"Babe, I know this is hard, but," Casey started.

"No!" she responded, not ready to accept the absence of her other half. "He's here! And I bet he's standing right outside that door, waiting to come see me!" By this point, KJ was so willing to prove her point that she had ripped her IV out of her arm and had started to walk towards the door.

"KJ! Stop! You have a broken leg!" Casey said, chasing after her.

As KJ walked outside her door, she was met with the presence of everybody from 51. All that is, except for Kelly. She immediately went up to Shay, knowing she would be most likely to know. "Shay," KJ said in between tears. "Where's Kelly? Where is he?"

By this point, KJ was in full hysterics. Shay pulled her into her embrace, holding KJ as she cried. Shay's eyes filled with unshed tears, as she shared in the longing for her best friend. "He's gone, babe. It's gonna be ok," she told her, reassuring herself as well with those words.

The rest of the guys from Firehouse 51 looked on with sorrowful faces, missing their fellow firefighter as well, yet also extremely happy that their favorite teenager was safe and sound.

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The next few months were rough, to say the least.

A couple of weeks after she was released from the hospital and her bones had healed, she was able get her cast removed.

School had been a rough adjustment. She had already missed the last months of junior year, and by now, senior year was almost over as well. KJ struggled to keep up with all of the schoolwork, especially since everybody else in her class was so far ahead of her. Fortunately, Jake offered to help tutor KJ after school. Because she wasn't cleared by the doctor yet, she couldn't play baseball, but she did have a standing spot on the varsity team whenever she was able to return. Therefore, everyday after school, KJ would head over to Jake's house to study. She refused to go to the Firehouse since Kelly wasn't there, similar to the actions of Kelly when KJ was gone.

Slowly, KJ and Jake became closer. Studying calculus would often turn into conversations, about anything really. Sometimes it was about the baseball game the night before. Sometimes it was talking about Kelly and how much she missed him, which often resulted in Jake holding and comforting KJ as she cried. During these occasions, it wasn't rare for KJ to fall asleep on Jake's bed, his protective arms circled around her. Unlike any other parent or guardian, Matt was okay and in fact, glad when this happened. At home, it was rare for KJ to sleep through the night. She often had nightmares not only about Keeler coming after her again (since he still had yet to be caught), but also about Kelly getting injured or killed in Afghanistan. Casey heard her cry herself to sleep at night, but didn't know what to do about it. In the beginning, he had tried to comfort her. However, ever since she escaped, she had become very distant with not only her brother, but everyone else at Firehouse 51. She secretly blamed them for Kelly's departure, mainly because she had no other way to rationalize what had happened. Casey could see that she was starting to fall apart at the seams. He had even tried to get her to go see a psychologist, but he received a very angry response that she "didn't need a fucking shrink". Casey tried to think of any possible solution to his little sister's current state, but the only one he could come up with was the return of Kelly.

Sadly, Casey didn't even know when Severide was due back. He realized that they would just have to wait it out. In the mean time, Jake was becoming worried about KJ. She had been skipping some of their sessions after school. However, he knew Casey had a lot on his plate and didn't want to worry him further, so he decided not to tell him.

On this particular Friday night, Casey was working a night shift at the Firehouse, and assumed that KJ would hang out with Jake just like any other day. In reality, KJ decided that she had to get away for a while, just to clear her head. Everything had been so stressful lately. She was buried underneath all of her schoolwork, and felt smothered by her brother and the other guys at 51 ever since the incident, who constantly checked up on her.

So, KJ heard about a party at one of the baseball player's houses and decided that it would be the perfect way to keep her mind off of anything and everything else in her life.

"Hey Drew. Hey Ryan," KJ said, immediately recognizing of few of her old teammates as she walked into the house.

"Hey KJ," they both said in reply. They offered her a drink, which she gladly accepted, thinking that just a few wouldn't hurt.

A few hours and a couple of games of beer pong later, KJ was completely trashed. She had gotten so caught up in trying to take her mind off of the stress in her life, that she gone a little overboard. At this point, she was struggling to walk upright, and was definitely not thinking straight.

Somehow, she had ended up dancing with Ryan to the music blaring through the speakers. Ryan leaned in, pressing his soft lips against hers, and KJ responded. Somewhere in the back of her mind, her conscience was telling her that the guy she was kissing was not Jake, and that she should stop. However, in her drunken state, KJ couldn't resist and continued to make out with Ryan. Hands started roaming, and eventually, Ryan led KJ into one of the empty rooms in the house. Both of their clothes were gone in a matter of seconds, and KJ began something that she would always regret.

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_Ring, ring, ring, ring. Ring, ring, ring, ring._

"Hello?" the groggy voice said.

"Jake, can you come pick me up?"

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Jake was up and dressed in a matter of seconds. He grabbed his keys and ran to his car. On the way to Ryan's house, all Jake could do was worry about KJ and hope that she was okay.

When he arrived, he jumped out of his car and headed straight into the house. He immediately saw KJ sitting down in the corner. As soon as she made eye contact with Jake, she broke down into tears. By now, she was somewhat sober and had realized what she had done. Jake ran over to her, pulling her into his embrace.

"Shhh, shhh. KJ, it's okay. It's gonna be okay," he whispered into her ear as he tried to calm her down.

"I'm so sorry Jake. I'm so sorry," she said as she sobbed into his shoulder.

After a few seconds, he finally realized what she was trying to tell him. He was immediately enraged, not at KJ, but at the thought of some guy taking advantage of her. He looked up to see Ryan talking to a few of his friends, smirking and motioning over to KJ, receiving a round of high-fives. Jake stormed over to Ryan, happily breaking Ryan's nose with his knuckles. As soon as he was done teaching Ryan his lesson, he took a still crying KJ by the hand and led her to his car. He drove them to his house, where he got her some Advil and water, and spent the rest of the night trying to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.


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